


It's A Match

by Darlingheart



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 06:58:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13631058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darlingheart/pseuds/Darlingheart
Summary: What happens when soul marks appear over night and you have to marry the one you match with.





	It's A Match

**Author's Note:**

> For @strawwolf who loves an arranged marriage AU. Fun fact, I love reading arranged marriage fics but really struggled with an idea for one, so hopefully this does the job. Happy Bellarke Valentines!

As government rulings go Bellamy thinks this is a pretty bad one.

“It’s like something out of a military state.” He complains.

“But happening globally.” Miller adds.

It has been two months since the world changed and in the great tradition of big changes everywhere most things have stayed the same. Like Friday nights at the bar, Raven is still sitting on his left, Miller is serving him, the music is still five years out of date.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not bad.” Bellamy counters.

“Hey dude, I didn’t say it wasn’t bad just less of a military state type thing if it’s happening all around the world.”

“Not to be the “but the Nazis” girl... But the Nazis were global and bad. So there is precedent.” Raven adds.

“This isn’t that though. Right?” Miller asks his forehead creasing with worry.

“No.” Bellamy says firmly, “but not to be the history nerd here...”

“You are literally always the history nerd, lean in.” Raven teases, holding her glass up to Miller for a fake toast.

“As I was saying, as a general rule anything that starts with people having to put their names on a list doesn’t end well.”

“So you’ve heard the latest.” Clarke says sitting down next to Raven with a big sigh.

“Griffin, the usual?” Miller asks.

“No. Something strong. Like, make me forget my life strong.”

“What’s with you princess?” Bellamy snarks.

Clarke winces at his tone but barely, they’re used to each other now. She joined their little friendship group a year ago through Raven, but Bellamy was never quite able to forgive her for being the other woman – even though she hadn’t known – and when he found out she was the Mayor’s daughter things went from bad to worse.

That they’ve managed to merge their friendship groups is a hundred per cent not because of their actions, which can be described as antagonistic at best, but because their friends are stubborn.

Mostly they just avoid each other.

“I assume the same thing that’s up with you guys. The list.” She says as Miller places a drink in front of her.

“What is this?”

“A Miller special.”

“This smells like lighter fluid,” She grimaces, “it’s perfect!”

“Ok, so being registered for these things isn’t great but it’s not the end of the world, it’s only voluntary.” Raven says.

Clarke turns her head to look at them. Her sharp gaze flits between Bellamy, Raven and Miller.

“You haven’t heard the latest directive.” She says eventually.

Bellamy frowns at her, while Raven and Miller just look apprehensive.

Clarke rummages in her bag for her phone and hands it over to Raven as if it physically pains her.

 

**_Directive from GMI: Global Mark Initiative_ **

_After the success of the initial mark volunteer, we are now taking the steps to register everyone. This is now a mandatory regulation._ _Now that the mark register is now in process, we will be contacting individuals to discuss the next step in further mark understanding._

 

“Mandatory,” Miller says once Raven has finished, “from when.”

“Tomorrow.” Clarke mumbles.

“Ok it’s bad but not lighter fluid bad.” Raven says reasonably.

“What don’t we know?” Bellamy asks shrewdly.

“This isn’t common knowledge, I only know because I overheard my mother and she wants me to be the poster child for the whole thing.”

“Spit it out.”

“The next step after registration is matching people with marks and, providing they meet certain age and lifestyle criteria, they want the couples to marry.”

“What!” Miller and Raven exclaim, “They can’t do that.”

“They can do anything, it’s a brave new world.” Clarke sighs.

“Miller, we’re all going to need those lighter fluid drinks.” Bellamy sighs.

 

The marks appeared overnight. Two months ago nobody had heard of soulmates other than outside of literature, but then it was as though the world hit refresh in the night and everyone was a new version when they woke.

Everything was the same in this new version except for one small physical marker that caused a global reaction. Almost all people woke up with a mark somewhere on their skin. For some it was the same mark as their partner, for others it was a mark they recognised and for some it was a mark they’d never seen before.

At first global governments tried to downplay it, but after a brawl in London – when a man realised his wife’s mark matched his brother – that turned into a city wide riot, the authorities had to step in.

For Bellamy and his friends the marks had appeared just like everyone else, and so far no one they knew had matching ones.

 

They’re on their third Miller approved drink when Raven says:

“Fuck it. I’ll register with you, we can say we have the same mark and you can marry me.”

Clarke pats her on the head softly.

“Thanks but it doesn’t work like that. They use full body scanning and biometric detailing to verify the marks.”

“Well at least that sounds badass.”

“Hopefully the person with the same mark as me lives in Australia or something.” Clarke sighs.

“Because you’re a fan of the accent?” Miller smirks.

“Funny, but no. They’re only matching people within the same countries right now. I mean eventually the database will be worldwide but for now as long as no one in the continental US has the same mark as me, I won’t be married off. And if I am hopefully he’s not a serial killer.”

“Or if he is he’s at least hot.” Miller adds.

“Exactly. I should at least get to look at someone pretty before they kill me and wear my skin.”

Bellamy snorts, “good to have goals.”

They’re silent for a bit, when Bellamy speaks again.

“It’s fucking barbaric, they can’t really force people to get married.”

“People, no? Me, maybe. My mom is the mayor. Her and the Senator want this, so providing my match isn’t an actual murderer I think she’ll be pretty persuasive.”

“That sucks.” Raven says leaning on Clarke.

“Yep.”

“We’ll come with you, safety in numbers right.” Bellamy says decisively.

“Literally not how marriage works.” Clarke snorts.

“I don’t mean that, I mean we could all go down to be registered together. We have to do it, at least we can do it as a team.”

“Aww, Blake. You’ve gone soft.” Miller laughs, “I’m cutting you off.”

“Fuck you.” He laughs. 

* 

“Do you guys know what marks you all have?” Clarke asks.

It’s the end of the night. Miller switched them onto something less alcoholic earlier in the evening, but now it’s the end of his shift he’s joined them for more drinks ( _'might as well be hungover as fuck if we’re signing our lives away'_ ).

“Yes Griffin, we know our own marks.” Bellamy snarks.

“I didn’t mean that dummy, I meant do you know each other’s?” She says rolling her eyes at him.

It’s not something that people talk about openly. It’s still something of a taboo, awkward subject.

“No.” Raven says.

“I’ve seen Bellamy’s.” Miller says.

Clarke and Raven jeer.

“Cute.” Bellamy deadpans, “It’s on my arm and we live together. I’ve seen his too.”

“Back.” Miller supplies.

“Mines on my hip.” Clarke says, absentmindedly touching her right hip.

“Ankle.” Raven adds.

“I take it you and Miller aren’t soulmates.” Clarke says.

“Nope. Would’ve been fucking convenient if we were, but alas.”

“Bellamy is alas-ing. It’s time to go.” Raven laughs, standing and holding out a hand to Clarke who takes it and let’s herself get pulled up.

“Tomorrow?” Bellamy says.

“You don’t have to...” Clarke starts.

“Tomorrow.” Raven says cutting her off, and Miller nods in agreement.

* 

The registration line isn’t that long when they all arrive. Clarke had been expecting them to forget or not be able to come with her but sure enough they’d all turned up at her house this morning (“together means together princess”).

“I thought it would be more frantic.” Miller says as they’re queuing.

They’re about half way down the line and have been there an hour.

“I’m not sure most people have really worked out just how mandatory it is yet.” Clarke says.

When they get to the front they’re separated by gender ( _'that’s going to cause some binary discrimination' 'think we’re way past that Blake'_ ) and then age.

Clarke is the youngest so is going through first. She catches Raven’s eye who gives her a nod and goes through the doors.

After, they all agree it wasn’t that bad.

“My technician was a guy called Jackson who told me about the machines, that was pretty cool.” Raven smiles as they’re walking down the street.

“There’s the silver lining.” Clarke teases, Bellamy and Miller grin.

*

When Clarke finishes her shift at the hospital where she’s doing her summer placement she has four missed calls from her mother, which is never a good sign.

Clarke goes straight to her mother’s house. She lets herself in and can see by the set of her Abby’s shoulders that she is not going to like the news.

Abby, to her credit is patient and even in her explanation. They’ve found Clarke’s match. He’s local and the age’s work. It’s is ultimately Clarke’s decision but... blah, blah, blah. Clarke doesn’t hear the rest because she’s looking at the folder in front of her. It’s right there in black and white.

Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin.

Clarke showers on auto-pilot and goes to the bar. The good thing about Bellamy working a hundred and one jobs is that there’s always a chance he’ll be at the bar. So she pretty much always knows where to find him, which isn’t something she ever considered before. That she knows where he’s likely to be.

He’s behind the bar when she enters. Miller isn’t working but is sitting on the opposite side.

“Bellamy, come with me.” Clarke says going over to the end of the bar him.

“Why should I do that?” He smirks.

“Will you just not be a dick and follow me for once.” Clarke says tugging his arm.

“We’re going in the back.” He says to the brunette, Gina, who’s behind the bar with him.

Clarke pushes Bellamy into the storeroom in front of her and shuts the door.

She is already unbuttoning her jeans by the time she turns around.

“Clarke, what the—”

She folds down the right side of her jeans just enough that the top of her underwear is visible, but that isn’t what Bellamy is staring at. Instead he’s focussed on the constellation of stars that runs across her right hipbone like a galaxy.

“Oh.” He breathes.

Clarke looks up then, she’d been avoiding his eyes, easier to just focus on the task at hand. He’s leaning against one of the stacks of crates his expression closed off, but his eyes are dark as they stare at her mark.

“Well?” Clarke snaps when the silence has stretched.

His eyes flit up to her face then.

“Well?”

“Let’s see it.”

Clarke can see him warring with himself but eventually just sighs and slides his left arm out of his long sleeve Henley.

That’s another thing Clarke hadn’t realised she noticed. Bellamy no longer wears t-shirts. Long sleeves only, which is a shame – the man has good arms.

Bellamy has his top half on and half off, to show his left arm and there is nothing attractive about the situation, if anything it’s funny. But laughter is the last thing on her mind, because there on the inside of his left bicep is the same collection of tiny dots and stars, creating a galaxy.

“Oh.” Clarke whispers.

She moves forward unintentionally, her hand reaching towards his arm, at the last second she catches herself and pulls back embarrassed.

There’s a tension in the air, which Clarke has never felt around him before. It’s charged and heavy.

“Bet you’re regretting your display of chivalry in accompanying me to register now.” Clarke tries to joke.

Bellamy makes a sound that’s half laugh, half huff.

“How’d you find out so fast?” He asks, putting his top back on.

“My mom.” Clarke says, buttoning her jeans up.

“Of course.” He nods.

Clarke thinks he’s taking it all surprisingly well, considering, when he suddenly exclaims.

“Fuck!”

She looks at him and can see the realisation set in.

“It’s fine. We’ll talk to my mom, we’ll figure something out.”

He’s silent.

“I’m sorry. I know I wouldn’t be your first, or fiftieth choice.” She says quietly.

Bellamy gives her a look she can’t decipher, before squeezing her shoulder briefly and opening the storeroom door.

“Better the devil you know, right.”

Raven is sitting with Miller when they come back out. Gina is leaning on the bar talking to them and the three of them stop suddenly when Clarke and Bellamy come towards them.

“Subtle.” Bellamy mutters under his breath making Clarke grin.

She slides onto the stool next to Raven and Bellamy leans on the bar next to her. Clarke glances at him and somehow she knows he understands that she’s asking, silently, if they should tell them.

“So, Clarke and I matched.” He says flatly.

“Ha!” Raven grins at Miller as he slaps a 20 down on the bar.

“Did you guys hook up?” Miller says.

“We were in there less than five minutes.” Clarke exclaims.

“Hey, I don’t know your life.” He replies.

“I will try not to be offended by that.” Bellamy says dry.

“What it’s been a while. And I only hear good things, it was a compliment.” Miller grins.

“Today could not get worse.” Bellamy says with a sigh putting his head in his hands, but then jerking upright suddenly, “I mean, uh, no offence.” He says to Clarke.

“It’s fine. None taken. Today is fucking strange.”

Gina places two drinks in front of them.

“What’s this?” Clarke asks.

“Miller is calling it lighter fluid. I might call it The Soulmark Special.” Gina grins.

“I think I hate you all.” Clarke mumbles as Raven and Miller laugh.

“Cheers.” Bellamy says turning to her with a small, wry, smile.

“You’re the first pair I know.” Gina says later in the evening.

Clarke and Bellamy have spent the evening not talking about it, but they also haven’t moved away from each other. It’s like now they know they’re connected it makes sense and they don’t want to step away.

“First new pair I know too.” Raven says.

“Have you told Octavia yet?” Miller asks Bellamy.

“No, not yet. She’s away on a trip.” Bellamy sighs.

“Has she got a mark?” Clarke asks.

“She’s not 18 yet. She doesn’t turn 18 until the new year.” He says.

“Oh, right.”

She knew there was a lot she didn’t know about Bellamy but she knew the broad strokes so the rest of the details didn’t seem to matter so much, but now he’s made of details and she wants to know them all.

Clarke leaves the bar with Bellamy’s number and a vague plan to meet. She’s not expecting him to message later that night, or for him to suggest meeting up the next day.

They agree to meet at his house in the afternoon. It's a small place a bit further out of town than hers, it's old but still in good shape.

Clarke doesn’t want to be nervous, she knows Bellamy is on her side, and she’s on his, whatever that looks like. But it’s the first time she’s been to his place. Normally they meet at the bar. Normally they don’t plan to meet.

A pretty brunette, with more than a passing resemblance to Bellamy when she scowls, opens the door. Clarke surmises this is the famous sister she’s heard about but never met.

“Oh. He said you were blonde but I thought you’d be taller.”

“Be nice O.” Bellamy says coming to the door.

“Come in.” He says softly to Clarke nudging his sister out of the way.

“I’m going up to my room.” The brunette says, turning and heading upstairs.

“Your sister I assume.” Clarke says as the door slams.

“Yep. I know it doesn’t seem like it but she was actually pretty excited about meeting you... she’s just...” Bellamy falters rubbing his neck.

“She’s 17. It’s fine, I get it.” Clarke smiles.

“Do you want a coffee or something?” Bellamy asks.

“That would be great.”

Clarke follows him down the hall to the kitchen, which is part of the living area. She’d never thought about where Bellamy lived before, never needed to, but as she glances round, at the piles of book, the heap of clothes waiting to be put away, she realises it’s exactly what she would have imagined.

“It’s not much, I know.” He says awkwardly as he watches her take it all in.

“It’s nice. Homely.” Clarke smiles, “my apartment is chaos and my mom’s place is just totally sterile, this is good.”

He smiles shyly.

“So, I spoke to my mom on the way over here.” Clarke starts when they’re seated with their coffee.

“That doesn’t sound like the start of a good sentence.” He says wryly.

“It’s not that bad. I told her that I didn’t think forcing us to get married was a good plan and that she should just let us figure this out.”

“And?”

“And she said she would respect whatever decision we make.” Clarke says.

“That feels too easy.”

“Huh?”

“Well every story you ever tell about your mom always has some kind of catch to it. Like when she encouraged you to get that internship and it turned out she’d already spoken to the hospital director.”

Clarke is quiet, frowning at him.

“What?” He snaps, self-conscious.

“I didn’t realise you listened when I talk.”

“Nor did I.” He smiles shyly. “I don’t know if it’s the mark making me aware of these things or if I’ve always somehow known them but it’s like I’m suddenly much more aware of it. Of you.”

“Same.” She smiles.

“You’re right though. There’s not a catch exactly but she wanted us to look over this.” Clarke tells him rummaging in her bag for the document her mom had couriered over.

Clarke moves closer to him and they open the folder together. It’s a contract of sorts detailing what they would need to do.

“She’d pay for me to go to finish college. For my sister?” Bellamy gawps.

“Well she wouldn’t technically but, yeah, there’s a fund so we’d be taken care of and that includes family, which Octavia would be.” Clarke says reading the bit that Bellamy is pointing at.

“What if it doesn’t work?” Bellamy says after he’s finished reading it, twice.

“What the marriage? I assume we end it.” Clarke says.

“But that won’t look good for the whole soulmate bullshit.”

“We’re not the only couple they’re trying to match so I think they’re hoping they get at least one success story.” Clarke shrugs.

“That makes sense.” He says mostly to himself.

“Bellamy, we don’t have to do this.” Clarke says tugging on his sleeve. “We can go back to pretending we don’t know the marks exist and I can ignore my mother. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Is that what you want?” He asks carefully.

Clarke doesn’t answer right away and when she does she ignores his question.

“I know you, apparently. You’ll do this because it will provide for your sister and I don’t want you to feel forced into anything.”

He doesn’t say anything. Clarke is aware of how close they’re sitting on the couch, her hand next to his, her legs facing towards him.

“You’re still wearing long sleeves.” She says after a beat, searching for something to fill the silence.

“Sometimes I just like a long sleeve.” He smiles.

“Oh, I thought you wore them to hide your mark.”

“I did. I do at work, it was strange when the marks first appeared every time a girl came into the bar she’d look at my arm. Some guys too.”

“I can see why that would be strange. That’s why I like that mine is hidden. People only see it if I want them to.” Clarke smiles to herself.

When she looks up Bellamy is looking at her with dark eyes.

“Is it wrong that I like that no one else sees it.” He says, his voice low and gravelly.

“You’ve only seen it once.” She says aiming for teasing but coming out breathy instead.

“Yeah, but I know what it looks like and where it is. That’s enough.” He smirks.

“That’s enough?” She asks quietly.

“Fuck no.”

And then they’re kissing. Clarke would never be able to tell you who moves first, or who initiates it, only that it’s everything she imagined kissing him would be.

The slam of the front door sends them flying apart to opposite sides of the couch. And by the time Miller comes in to the room she thinks she looks put together.

The way Miller smirks at them makes it seem like that’s not the case.

“Am I interrupting?” He asks too innocently.

“I thought you were at work today.” Bellamy says, gruff.

“Gina wanted to swap.” Miller shrugs. “I can go to my room, put noise cancelling headphones on.”

“Funny.” Clarke deadpans.

“I thought so.” He grins.

“You can stay, we’re going over our maybe wedding deal.” Bellamy tells him.

“Yeah, no thanks. That does not sound fun.” He says with a wave and heads upstairs.

When he’s gone Clarke is aware it’s just the two of them again. It feels awkward now, like it wasn’t before.

“We should–”

“That was–”

They say at the same time.

“You go.” Bellamy says with a small smile.

“I was going to say we should probably not do that again. It will just complicate things.” Clarke says in a rush.

“Sure. Whatever you want.” He replies, evenly.

Clarke looks up at him but his face is a mask, betraying nothing.

“Ok.” She nods, mostly to reassure herself.

“I think we should talk to your mom, see what they’re offering before we agree to anything.” He says.

Clarke nods and gets up to call her mother.

They arrange a meeting for the following week.

“I guess I should...” Clarke says, motioning to the door, “we can’t do much until we speak to my mom.”

“You don’t have to go.” Bellamy says, ducking his head down.

“I don’t want to get in the way.” She mutters.

“You wouldn’t be. Unless, I mean, if you have plans or whatever…”

“I don’t.”

“Then stick around. Honestly, all that normally happens here on a Sunday is that Miller and I play video games and Octavia trash talks us.”

“I can trash talk better than I can play video games.” She smiles.

“Yeah, I believe that.”

  
*

Bellamy hasn’t seen Clarke since they spent the afternoon playing video games. And now he’s at the Mayor’s office to discuss marriage, his marriage.

Clarke is already there when he walks in and Bellamy can’t be sure if the little jump that his heart does is because it knows its meant to or because he does actually like her.

“Hey.” He smiles, sitting down next to her.

“You look nice.”

“Yeah apparently I’m meeting the Mayor and also my maybe future mother in law so I wanted a look that says I’ve got my shit together. But I didn’t have that so went for this.”

She snorts, “I think a blue button down and jeans conveys that exact sentiment.”

The receptionist tells them that ‘Mayor Griffin’ is ready for them before Bellamy can reply.

Clarke starts humming as they walk towards the room.

“Are you humming the funeral march?” He asks under his breath.

“Not intentionally, it was meant to be the Vader music from Star Wars.” She grins.

Bellamy laughs at her and his heart does that funny jump again.

The good mood doesn’t last.

“Just so I’m clear, you want us to pretend to be head over heels in love.” Bellamy sighs.

“Not exactly. I want you to want to be together and if for publicity purposes that’s because you’re very in love, that wouldn’t be bad.” Abby explains.

“Mom, you want us to get married in less than a month. If this was any other circumstances you’d be telling me I’d lost my mind. Or saying Bellamy was a gold digger.”

“No offence.” Clarke adds to him.

“Some taken.” He smirks back.

“But Clarke, it’s not any other circumstances. Out of the D.C metro area there are five couples that matched and fit the criteria and only one – you two – is in Arcadia. Do you know what having a soul mark couple would do for Arcadia’s position on the global stage?”

“That doesn’t sound like you. That sounds like Jaha.” Clarke scowls.

“Senator Jaha and I have of course discussed this, and we both think it would be good.”

“I can’t believe so few couples match around here.” Bellamy says idly.

“Oh, plenty more matched. It’s just that you two are the best option.”

“She means we can pass as straight and white.” Clarke with an annoyed sigh.

Bellamy scowls.

“Well you’re also very attractive.” A voice says from behind them, “that helps.”

Clarke and Bellamy turn around to see Senator Thelonious Jaha come into the room.

“Oh good, today can get worse.” Clarke mutters.

“Clarke, you understand politics, perception is everything.” Abby tries.

“So the perception is that we are straight, white, attractive and in love.” Bellamy snarks.

“Exactly.” Senator Jaha says happily missing Bellamy’s sarcasm.

Clarke groans and leans her head in her hands. Bellamy rubs her back absentmindedly. A move that doesn’t go unnoticed by Abby.

“Of course, we only want what’s best for you. And as I said there is another couple. They’ve not met yet, one of them is apparently recovering from a bad break up, but nothing heals a broken heart like a new love.” Abby says.

Clarke gapes at her mother and musters herself for another argument but is cut off by Bellamy:

“So explain, exactly, what this would entail again.”

*

In the end they agree to get married so that another couple doesn’t have to. They know each other, mostly like each other, they’re at an advantage.

The wedding is a small ceremony, just immediate family, and fairly simple. A picture of them, Clarke in an elegant but simple white dress, Bellamy in a black suit, smiling with their arms around each other is released to the press and just like that they’re the poster children for soulmarks.

*

“If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were happy.” Wells says on the phone a few nights after the image is released.

Clarke is in her apartment trying to pack. It has been decided that she should move into Bellamy’s since he has Octavia, who is settled. Clarke understands the logic but hates the packing element.

“I am happy.” She sighs.

“Oh, that was much more convincing. Well done.”

“It’s just strange, you know. I keep seeing my face on the news and remembering that I’m married. To Bellamy.”

“The hot asshole.” Wells supplies, using the phrase that Clarke used to describe Bellamy when she first met him.

“Less of an asshole as it turns out. But yeah, to him. Everyone is looking to us to see if these marks really mean anything and it’s just a lot.”

“Have you talked to him about this?” Wells asks.

“No. We haven’t seen each other all week. He’s always working. And when we do see each other it’s awkward.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s like we probably would’ve got together if it was just up to us but now there’s all this pressure it’s like we don’t know how to be around each other again. So we default back to arguing.”

“Talk to him.”

“Thanks.” Clarke snarks.

“I’m serious. I can’t give you advice because I don’t know him but I know you, you bottle things up and hope they’ll sort themselves out. Well this won’t, unless you talk.”

“I know. I just don’t want to.”

Wells laughs, “well you have to. You’re married now.”

“Ugh.” Clarke groans leaning against a stack of boxes.

*

“I feel like you’re stalking me.” Raven complains as she sits down on the barstool.

“Hello to you too.” Bellamy snarks.

“No seriously, you’re everywhere.”

“I haven’t seen you in over a week Reyes.”

“Yes but I’ve seen you and your lovely wife. Everywhere. Seriously. Everywhere. Online. The TV. Even fucking subway posters.”

“I know.” He sighs, “It’s a lot.”

“They’re really selling the attractive straight couple thing.” She agrees.

“Not straight.”

“Presenting as straight.”

“Have you moved in together yet?”

“No. She's in still packing up her place, O and I are helping her move in this weekend.” He says with a sigh.

“You sound thrilled.”

“It's just a lot. I like Clarke, when we're not arguing about stupid shit she's fun but we've gone from zero to 100 in a few weeks and honestly…” He trails off

“Honestly?”

Bellamy doesn’t really want to have this conversation but it’s a Wednesday evening, and they’re quiet. He has nowhere to hide.

“I worry that if it wasn't for the marks then none of this would be happening.”

“Well that's stupid. Of course none of it would be happening. Last month you told me that Clarke's presence at the bar on Friday’s was a personal insult to your happiness.” 

He snorts, he remembers saying that. She had been in a particularly combative mood arguing over whether you can judge old TV shows to today’s standard or if by doing that they’ll never live up to expectation. They’d spent twenty minutes bickering with each other before realising they shared the same opinion.

“Are you trying to make me feel better, because reminding me that a month ago I hated my now wife is not helpful."

“You didn't hate her. Look, Miller and I had a extensive, somewhat complicated bet going on how long it would take you and Clarke to get together and this was way before any of us had even heard of these god damn marks.”

That doesn’t really surprise him. Miller has long worked off the theory that Bellamy only likes women who make his life difficult.

“We're just so different.”

“Your differences are what make you similar though. Clarke is all logic and reason, but then will throw all of that away to help a friend. You're all act first think later, but only when it comes to friends and family. You value the same things. You just go about them in different ways.”

“What if we don't work together?”

“Then you don't work,” she shrugs, “But it seems unlikely unless you're not attracted to her. And before you lie to me you should know that Miller told me you once described Clarke as ‘annoyingly attractive’ when you were drunk.” 

“She might not feel the same.” He mumbles

“I’m ignoring that because I know you already made out.”

Bellamy stops pretending to refill the lemon trays and stares at Raven, who is looking at him with an infuriatingly smug expression.

“Apparently people tell you everything.”

“Because I'm awesome.” She grins.

“And can't keep a secret, so yeah, this conversation is over now. But good talk.”

Raven laughs, "just talk to your wife." there's a pause and then she says, "fuck, you have a wife."

*

 **Bellamy:** Hey, is it ok if I come by after my shift tonight?  
Just to talk

 **Clarke:** Sure  
What time are you done

 **Bellamy:** 9pm

 **Clarke:** I’ll be here, drowning in a sea of boxes

  
It’s closer to 10pm when Bellamy gets to Clarke’s place, he knocks for a while before she opens the door and when she does she looks half asleep.

“Shit. Did I wake you?”

“Only from a nap.” Clarke says with a smile, “it’s fine. I like naps.”

She opens the door wide to let him in, but he stops less than a meter into the room.

“It looks worse before it gets better, everyone knows that.” Clarke says sheepishly.

Bellamy is looking around the room at all the half packed boxes.

“It probably can’t get any worse, so that’s something.”

Clarke hits him lightly on the arm.

“You know you’re meant to be moving in this weekend, right?”

“I’ll be ready.”

“And that Miller is moving in here.”

“Which is totally awesome for him by the way.”

“Agreed. How has Miller done the best out of our marriage so far.” Bellamy laughs.

“It’s so weird we’re married, you know.” Clarke says going back over to the pile of books she was in the process of packing before her power nap, “I keep glancing down at my hand and seeing my ring and thinking, fuck, I have a husband.”

Bellamy laughs.

“Shall I start on these?” he asks pointing to a shelf of books.

Clarke nods.

“I know what you mean about the marriage thing, it’s like it happened to someone else.”

“It doesn’t help that we’ve barely seen each other since the whole thing anyway.” Clarke adds.

“And when we do, we argue.”

“We’re not arguing now.”

“I’ve been here five minutes. Give it time.” He grins.

They pack in easy silence until Clarke says, “should we talk about it? I feel like we should.”

“Talk about what.” He asks absently.

“This. Us. Marriage. Expectation versus reality.”

“The easy stuff then.” He laughs.

“You’re helping me box up my things so I can move in with you. We’re going to be living together and I don’t even know what that will look like.” She sighs.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, like, what are you expecting? Am I taking Miller’s old room, moving into your room. Do you want this to be real in public and fake in private…” she trails off, blushing slightly.

Bellamy puts the books he was packing down and picks his way through the boxes to go to her.

“Lets sit.”

He looks at the couch, which is covered in packing detriments and instead pulls her to the floor with him. It’s cramped, but also kind of cosy, feeling more like a fort than anything.

“I am not expecting anything, not like that. If you’ll be happier in Miller’s old room then that’s good with me, if you want to be in my room, also good. And if you’re in my room, I wouldn’t try anything, I wouldn’t… you know.”

“God, Bellamy, I know. I didn’t mean that. I trust you.” Clarke says taking his hand and squeezing it.

“Yeah?” He says, shyly.

“Yeah. You know what’s strange–”

“Other than this whole scenario.”

“Other than that, yeah.” She says rolling her eyes, “is that I feel like we would’ve ended up here eventually but then I keep second guessing myself, not sure how much of it is because of the marks.”

“I said pretty much the exact same thing to Raven earlier. Who, by the way, I am not confiding in ever again, that girl cannot keep a secret.”

Clarke frowns.

“She told me you told her about the kiss.”

“Like you didn’t tell Miller.” Clarke huffs, her cheeks glowing.

“Given he walked in seconds after the fact, I didn’t need to.”

Clarke grins, they probably did look pretty obvious.

“I was freaking out, I needed someone to talk to.”

“Why were you freaking out?”

“You’re you. It’s not like I didn’t know you were attractive but I never really thought about it because from day one you clearly hated me. And then, we got the marks and everything, and I was worried that I’d gone to far with the kiss.” She rambles.

“You’d gone to far?” He asks incredulously, “I kissed you.”

“I’m pretty sure I kissed you.”

“I really don’t think so. I wanted to kiss you the second you walked in, so I’m almost certain I made the first move.”

“Are we really arguing about this? We’re useless.” Clarke laughs dropping her head on his shoulder.

“Clarke,” Bellamy says, low, as she looks up, “I’m going to kiss you now.”

His hands cup her cheeks and despite the lack of space he scoots forward to kiss her. Clarke curls one hand around his arm and the other on his shoulder as she meets him.

He pulls back and rests his forehead on hers, “I kissed you first, princess,” he smirks.

*

It’s the peak of summer, when the days are too hot to do anything but complain.

Everyone is sitting in the backyard of Clarke and Bellamy’s place. They’re having a combined almost one-year wedding anniversary/ Octavia is going away to college BBQ.

“You know how I’ve been binge watching Community.” Raven says.

“Yeah, thanks for that Monty.” Clarke laughs.

She met Monty a month after she married Bellamy, he was a pharmacist intern at the hospital. They became friends after a run-in with a terrifying doctor and the rest was history. She introduced him to the group and he just fit.

She’s pretty sure that something might happen with him and Miller, but no one has mentioned it. Marks are more understood now, but it’s still not something people discuss, so she doesn’t know if they match. But thinks they’d be good together regardless.

“It’s a classic, if somewhat uneven show.” Monty defends.

“Anyway, I was thinking about all of us, in the darkest timeline and what that would look like.”

“Blake would have a patchy beard.” Miller laughs.

“Screw you Miller.” Bellamy replies lazily.

“You would look ridiculous with a beard, Bell.” Octavia laughs.

He scowls at his sister.

“I think you’d look very handsome with a beard.” Clarke says, rubbing her hand on along his jaw.

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” She smiles.

“That.” Raven exclaims pointing at Clarke and Bellamy.

“What? We’re together in the darkest timeline?” Bellamy says, “Because that seems kinda offensive.”

Clarke laughs, leaning back on him.

“No. You weren’t together. We were all hanging out as friends - there were no marks or anything – and you two were pretending that you didn’t like each other and you were just platonic.” Raven says the final word with a grimace and finger quotes.

“Fuck.” Octavia exhales.

“Yep. And it went on for years!” Raven tells them.

“That is the actual worst, can you imagine what a pining nightmare they would be. I never want to live in that timeline.” Miller says dramatically.

Clarke looks up at Bellamy. Her hand is curled around his left arm, as it almost always is, and his fingers are tracing a pattern on her hip.

“Yeah, That would be the worst.” She agrees.

“I like this timeline.” He says smiling at her.

“Me too.” She says leaning up and kissing him softly.


End file.
